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Guide to Iowa’s Court System GUIDE TO IOWA’S COURT SYSTEM Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction to Iowa’s Court System ....................................................................................................... 1 Trial and Appellate Court Structure Chart ............................................................................................... 1 The District Court .................................................................................................................................. 2 A Snapshot of Iowa’s District Court Case Load ...................................................................................... 2 District Court Procedures: civil, criminal and juvenile ........................................................................... 3 Civil Procedure ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Other Civil Procedures: small claims and family law cases ................................................................... 4 Criminal Procedure and Sentencing ...................................................................................................... 4 Juvenile Court Procedure ....................................................................................................................... 7 District Court: judges, court staff and court structure ........................................................................... 8 Iowa’s Judicial Districts ......................................................................................................................... 10 Appellate Courts...................................................................................................................................... 11 A Snapshot of Iowa’s Appellate Court Case Load .................................................................................. 11 Appellate Procedure .............................................................................................................................. 11 Appellate Court: judges and court staff ................................................................................................ 12 Iowa Judicial Branch Administrative Structure..................................................................................13 Iowa Supreme Court Administrative Duties .......................................................................................... 13 Iowa’s Judiciary............................................................................................................................14 Eligibility for Judicial Office ................................................................................................................... 14 Judicial Selection ................................................................................................................................... 14 State Nominating Commissions ............................................................................................................ 14 District Nominating Commissions ......................................................................................................... 14 County Magistrate Appointing Comissions ........................................................................................... 14 Judicial Retention Elections ................................................................................................................... 15 Judicial Accountability ........................................................................................................................... 15 Judicial Qualifications Commission ....................................................................................................... 15 More Information About www.iowacourts.gov................................................................................16 GUIDE TO IOWA’S COURT SYSTEM Page Introduction to Iowa’s Courts This guide describes in summary how court cases proceed from beginning to end. It also describes the structure and administration of Iowa’s courts and how Iowans select their judges. At the end of this guide is a website directory for more information about Iowa’s court system and court services. Courts exist to impartially resolve disputes and interpret questions of law brought to the courts in the form of cases. Cases filed with the courts involve a broad scope of problems and issues, including contract disputes, family matters, criminal violations, landlord-tenant disputes, personal injury claims, property condemnation battles, employment matters and assertions of constitutional rights. As a general proposition, all cases begin, and nearly all cases end, in the trial court, also known as the district court. However, sometimes a party who disagrees with a district court decision will ask a higher court, known as an appellate court, to review the decision. This process is called an appeal. In Iowa, all appeals are filed with the supreme court. The supreme court retains certain cases to decide itself, and transfers other cases to the court of appeals for a decision. A litigant who is dissatisfied with a court of appeals decision may seek further review by the supreme court. Iowa Trial and Appellate Court Structure Chart Iowa Supreme Court • May accept a case or transfer it to the Court of Appeals Court of Appeals • Decides cases that involve legal issues of first im- pression, substantial constitutional issues and is- • Decides only cases transferred to it by the Iowa sues of great public policy importance Supreme Court • Typically decides cases in which the legal issues • Its decisions become case law that lower courts must follow are well-settled • Court of Last Resort —its decisions are final for all • Court of Intermediate Appeal – 90% of all ap- cases except those involving a Federal issue that peals are transferred to this court are heard by the U.S. Supreme Court • 9 judges sit in 3 panels of 3 judges • 7 justices, hear cases “en banc” (all justices to- • A party may ask the supreme court to review a court of appeals decision, a process called fur- gether) ther review Both the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court can remand–send a case back to a lower court for a new trial or other action. District Court • Nearly all cases begin in the district (trial) court • Three levels of judges within district court: district judges have general jurisdiction over all types of cases; associate judges (district associate, associate juvenile, associate probate) and magistrates have limited jurisdiction • 1 district court in found in each of the 99 counties; districts are organized into eight judicial districts for administra- tive purposes • After the court enters a decision, dissatisfied party may appeal the decision to a higher court; small claims decisions of magistrate and district associate judges are appealed to a district judge; appeals from other types of cases are to the Iowa Supreme Court GUIDE TO IOWA’S COURT SYSTEM Page The District Court Approximately 14% of all judicial officers’ time is devoted to civil cases. Tort cases, particularly, personal A Snapshot of Iowa’s District Court Case Load injury lawsuits, such as medical malpractice claims, The district court is where parties start their lawsuits, garner a lot of media and public attention because of prosecutors file criminal charges, trials take place, the perceived impact of tort litigation on the cost of lawyers offer evidence, witnesses testify, juries products and services. However, tort cases make up a deliberate, and judges enter judgments. Iowa’s district small fraction of the civil case load, which constitutes courts handle just over one million cases a year. only 3% of all cases filed in the Iowa district courts. The two most common case types are simple Probate cases (estates, guardianships, conservatorships, misdemeanors and small claims. Simple and adult mental health or substance abuse misdemeanors, which are lesser criminal offenses commitments) account for just over 2% of all case such as traffic offenses and county and city ordinance filings, and 6% of judges’ time throughout the state. violations, account for nearly 75% of all district court cases filed each year. However, because most people do not contest these violations and voluntarily pay the fines to the clerk of court, simple misdemeanors account for only about 10% of the work time of judges and magistrates throughout the state. Small claims cases, which are civil claims for damages that amount to $5000 or less, account for more than 9% of all filings and about the same percentage of all judicial officers’ work time. Statewide, judicial officers spend more time on indictable criminal cases (serious offenses that include felony offenses) than any other case category. While these cases represent less than 10% of the total number of cases filed, they are extremely labor intensive. Judges and magistrates collectively spend about 25% of their time on indictable criminal cases. Civil cases involving children and families also consume a large chunk of court time. Family law cases include dissolution of marriage, child support and custody, and civil actions for protection from domestic violence. These cases represent less than 5% of all district court filings, but they demand 15% of all judicial officers’ time. Juvenile cases require even more court resources. The juvenile caseload includes: delinquency, children in need of assistance, juvenile mental health or substance abuse commitments,
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